[The Quest has been temporarily paused.]
Sirius drew a long, heavy breath, clutching his chest with a trembling hand. He couldn't help but wipe the beads of sweat from his forehead.
That was… that was close!
Desiring to acquire power he had long been deprived of, Sirius was affected in the heat of the moment and wanted to begin "hunting" immediately.
Still floating gracefully as ever, the Immortal Spirit gave her a questioning look.
"I—I didn't expect it to be like this…" Sirius flashed an awkward smile, caught off guard. "And I wanted to bring Noir with me and cultivate a bit. That's why…"
After all, he didn't want to die during the beginning of the Calamity the moment he had regained his ability to cultivate. That would be awkward. Sirius would not be able to face his ancestors if he did. And if he would be leaving, then it'd be best to bring Noir with him.
Softly shaking her head, the Immortal Spirit replied:
"As of now, you cannot bring anyone or anything with you."
His eyes widened as his gaze turned to Noir. If he left, then what about her?
"You worry too much for your companion." The Immortal Spirit faintly shook her head, gazing at the oblivious Noir with a trace of affection in her eyes. "Magical beasts can live for weeks without food and water."
She went on, easing his worries:
"If you were in the past timeline of Earth, a month there is equal to only a week in the present time. Hence, the ratio is roughly 4:1."
Sirius fell into contemplation, then nodded in heavy relief. He could leave a plentiful amount of food and water that would stretch those two weeks even further. And beyond that, those bandits wouldn't return until next month. So he had more than enough time.
The Immortal Spirit remained silent, giving him time to ponder over his plan. After all, anyone would have the same behavior upon hearing such a fantastical claim.
Now greatly relieved, his face suddenly lit up.
"What happens to the present when something in the past is changed?"
He had way too many questions. Sirius was in no way knowledgeable about the capabilities of high-grade artifacts or time manipulation. Based on novels or movies he had consumed, he thought any changes in the past would not affect the present but create branching timelines. At least, from what he knew.
"With the artifact, any alterations in the past affect the present time. Therefore, no branching timelines will emerge," she said casually. "Once the targeted Provident is eliminated, it will appear as though its existence has vanished into thin air, and everything connected to it will remain. However, the artifact is capable of isolating parts of the designated timeline to prevent catastrophic manipulation."
Sirius found it confusing to understand the rest. Suddenly, his eyes brightened. He quickly looked her dead in the eyes.
His voice trembled. "Does this mean that—"
She shook her head just as quickly.
"No. The artifact is not powerful enough to revert everything back."
Even though Sirius had already anticipated it, he couldn't help but laugh bitterly.
"However, that is not important at the moment." She cut off his trance. "First, you must gain access to the artifact."
"Access the artifact? How?"
"Call out its name. True Primordial Heavenly Dao Artifact."
Sirius raised an eyebrow, finding its name oddly long, but followed nonetheless.
"True Primordial Heavenly Dao Artifact."
With that said, another hologram panel appeared.
[Host: Sirius Crowell]
[Realm: - ]
[Abilities: -]
[Techniques: -]
[Treasures: -]
[Fortune Points: -]
His mouth hung open as his eyes reflected the light in front of him. Shivers ran across his body as he found it utterly surreal.
"This…"
"Those are your records. Judging from your expression, the artifact appears familiar to you, as it manifests itself in a way that you like," the Immortal Spirit said, pausing briefly. "Now, give it another name. A name that truly fits its manifestation."
He nodded excitedly. After all, the name was too long. Sirius didn't think for a long time.
"System."
The Immortal Spirit found the name weird but didn't comment.
"You may access it anytime either verbally or mentally," she reminded him. "For now, you must cultivate and then deal with your mortal matters before you leave. Once again, upon accepting it, you must keep in mind that time will continue to pass in the present, but at a drastically slower rate. Therefore, if you have any friends or family, it would be best to remind them that you will be gone for a while."
Hearing the word 'cultivate,' Sirius felt a mix of both exhilaration and conflict. How long had he waited for this moment? He had wished every moment for the day to finally come, but when it did…
Sirius shook his head and rubbed his temples. Tapping his foot rapidly on the floor, the thought of Noir crossed his mind again.
But now…
Feeling distressed again, he placed the matter at the back of his mind and focused on his matters. His parents had long passed away. And as far as he knew, he didn't have any true relatives. Aside from Noir, Xander, and Joseph, Sirius only had a few friends and acquaintances.
Whatever.
"I've made up my mind," Sirius said eagerly. "For now, I'll advance into First Rank before resuming the Quest."
"First Rank?" the Immortal Spirit tilted her head.
"Aren't you conscious all the time in the artifact?" Sirius found it weird. He thought she had been watching him the entire time.
She softly shook her head. "You might have misunderstood. While my existence is bound to the artifact, the artifact is not bound to me. We are not exactly the same. In other words, the artifact takes precedence over me, which is why my consciousness remained dormant until now."
Sirius frowned and thought about it, finding it a little confusing. He then fell silent for a while.
Suddenly, he realized one thing as his eyes sparkled. From what he had read before, his target, Noah Eckert, originated from the Divine Realm.
"Indeed. The artifact and the I hail from another realm. A higher dimension, if you will. Hence, while my knowledge is still applicable to your world, some things might be different. Thus, if you may kindly explain some matters when appropriate."
He thought for a long moment, curating necessary pieces of information she might find useful at this moment.
"Alright. In this world, we have ranks and realms. From the First Rank until the Sixth Rank, we absorb spiritual energy to temper our physiques. Once successful, only then can we absorb spiritual energy to store it in our palace, and advance into realms, such as the First Mortal Realm, Second Mortal Realm, and so on…"
The Immortal Spirit closed her eyes as she floated gracefully. "First Mortal Realm, Second Mortal Realm…" she muttered.
She nodded and looked at him with a serious expression.
"The natural laws of your world are flawed. If my guess is correct, the spiritual energy here is cultivated. Meaning, it emerged unnaturally. Hence, the so-called ranks were introduced to compensate."
"What… do you mean?"